THE ATLANTA OLYMPICS. INSIDE THE OLYMPICS.

Belgian Swimmer: Truth In Advertising

July 21, 1996|By Bonnie DeSimone.

In a full-page ad that ran on the back of both of Belgium's major daily newspapers Friday, Fred Deburghgraeve foreshadowed his world-record performance in the 100-meter breaststroke. Translated loosely from the French, the ad read: "5 billion people on the planet. . . 3 million swim. . . 200,000 do the breaststroke. . . three win medals. Dad and Mom: I'm going for it." The ad, sponsored by the Belgian Olympic Committee, featured a closeup of Deburghgraeve's shaved head.

U.S. assistant coach Eddie Reese said he also had a premonition about Deburghgraeve. "I watched him in warmup the other day. He's the best (arm) puller I've ever seen," said Reese, the head men's coach at the University of Texas. "They knew this was going to happen two days ago."